1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens-fitted photo film unit and classifying apparatus and method for the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improvement in which plural kinds of lens-fitted photo film units can be classified with great ease.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A known lens-fitted photo film unit (hereinafter referred to simply as photo film unit) is disclosed in JP-U (Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No.) 1-128241 for example, and is now on the market, e.g. under the trade name "Fujicolor Quick Snap +3" (manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.). Such photo film units are a single-use camera pre-loaded with photo filmstrip (hereinafter referred to as photo film). The photo film unit is sold at a low price as compared with a conventional camera. When a user purchases the photo film unit, he can carry it with him with great portability, and take photographs whenever he desires. There have been a number of different variants of commercially available photo film units, such as a flash built-in type "Fujicolor Quick Snap Flash" for exposures at night or in a room, a panoramic type "Fujicolor Quick Snap Panoramic" for exposures like wide-angle photography, and a waterproof type "Fujicolor Quick Snap Waterproof" provided with a watertight case for underwater exposures.
A user of the photo film unit winds the photo film frame by frame back into a cassette after each exposure. When the entirety of the photo film is exposed, the exposed photo film with the cassette is unloaded from the photo film unit. While the photo film is developed, the emptied photo film unit is discarded as waste. However, the huge amount of collectively created waste is a social problem in the environmental point of view. To reduce such waste, photo film units emptied of photo films are to be recycled.
In the recycling of photo film housings of the photo film units, the housings are classified into respective particular models, and then subjected to inspection of performance of taking exposures in view of reuse for photography. The used housings detected as acceptable are reloaded with new photo films, and packaged to be shipped newly as merchandise.
The above-mentioned plural variants of photo film units are collectively withdrawn by a manufacturer. It is general in a factory that operators manually classify the housings into the respective particular models. However, there is a problem in manual classification of photo film units has a limit in reliability and/or simplifying improvement, in view of raising efficiency in the recycling of the photo film units for the purpose of reuse of mechanisms for exposures.